The Engagement Game (Book 1)

5. she's cute

"There's an emergency at home, I have to go!" Kacey calls over her shoulder.

A few people glance at her before returning to their conversations. I watch Kacey's retreating figure before glancing around for her friend. Lacie is not next to her, my head turns to the other end of the bar and focus on the drunk woman sitting there. I raise my brows, surprised.

I wonder what happened to make Kacey leave her behind?

Lacie blearily looks over at the group of people I'm standing with and swirls around her empty glass in her hand. She raises it to her lips and makes a motion to drink. I hold back a laugh as I see her blink and frown down at the empty cup.

She's cute.

The way her cheeks are flushed, and her moist lips pouted against the glass... I gulp.

I haven't had any drinks because I'll be leaving soon, but my sober brain seems to be affected by the drunken chatter of my friends. I'm thinking things I'd normally never think. Why would I be suddenly attracted to a drunk girl?

I turn my back to her, I need to stop looking at her because my mind keeps on straying to places it should not be. I tune back into the conversation that the guys are having and quietly listen to Jonathan talking about the girl he's currently dating.

"She's different," he says seriously, "I really think she might be the one."

My curiosity piques. Has Jonathan finally found a girlfriend he'll commit to? His parents will be glad to hear it, I hope his relationship goes well.

My mind wanders back to Lacie sitting behind us, will she eventually meet someone who is "the one" for her?

My body turns around of its own accord and I look at her. She's holding an entire bottle of vodka, I turned around just in time to see her take a swig and spit it out, tears forming in her eyes from the sting.

Kacey...what were you thinking leaving her alone here?

I break off from my group ignoring Dylan's questioning look and head over to Lacie's side of the bar.

Standing in front of her, I look down into her bleary eyes. She's clutching onto the bottle with lose fingers and its slowly slipping down. Her drunken grip is not going to be able to support that bottle for much longer. I grab the top of the bottle and try to tug it out of her hand, she doesn't let go. I don't want to forcefully take it from her and I carefully unwrap her fingers from around it and place it back on the counter.

I try to think of something to say to her.

"Did Kacey leave you behind?" I blurt out.

I cringe at my question, it's so lame. Of course Kacey left her behind, why else would she be sitting here by herself?

Lacie slowly blinks at me and I realize just how drunk she is. I don't think she had much to drink today, but then again, I haven't been watching her the entire time so who knows how much she's actually had.

Looking at her state, I wonder how shes going to get back. Kacey was her ride home but now thats gone out of the window.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Yes!"

Okay, I'll call a taxi for her. "Where do you live?"

She doesn't respond. I wonder if she doesn't want to share her address with a stranger she's just met today, but looking at her dazed eyes I realize that she either doens't understand what I'm asking, or doesn't remember what her address is. Or, maybe she thinks that you can communicate purely through body language.